November: the month of Fall festivals, school activity craziness, football tailgates, in-office work schedules, and the beginnings of holiday preparation. Between our busier schedules and chillier weather, craving the decadent, gourmet comfort foods our retired grandmas would spend all day in the kitchen preparing is nearly inevitable. With lack of time and interest in investing that level of effort, consumers are now seeking convenient foods that taste gourmet.

Gourmet Flavors for Easy Meals

There are two important consumer insights to consider highlighted in a recent 2023 IFT article¹:

1. 1. 75% of people in the United States are consumers of specialty foods, according to the Specialty Food Association
   2. 48% of people in the United States use a combination of pre-prepared food products and raw ingredients when preparing meals, according to the Food Marketing Institute

Although it may seem like a dichotomy to demand both convenience AND the artisan, elevated taste of specialty foods, several innovative products have recently been released to meet this unmet need by infusing novel flavors in otherwise standard pre-prepared products & “just add water” blends².

• • Black garlic infused alfredo sauce
  • Lemongrass chicken stir fry
  • Bitter orange & grapefruit citrus marmalade
  • Birthday cake almond butter
  • Pink Peppercorn Honey Yuzu Vinaigrette

Snack Attack

Snacks are officially on the rise, although I’m sure that may come as no surprise if you also fall into the 45% of people who report eating three or more snacks per day⁴.

Since convenient packaged snacks are beginning to replace true meals for working professionals, the demand for gourmet, elevated flavors are more prevalent than ever before. According to Mintel, flavor seems to be the most important attribute to consumers when purchasing snack food items by a landslide.

• • Tajin mango gummy bears
  • Ginger caramel white chocolate covered pretzels
  • Ube mochi
  • Pandan peach snack cakes
  • Maple cardamom popcorn

References

1.“The Top 10 Food Trends of 2023.” IFT.Org, www.ift.org/news-and-publications/food-technology-magazine/issues/2023/april/features/the-top-10-food-trends-of-2023#anchor-6c75041b-987f-47b4-89fe-4f403dabed6d. Accessed 11 Sept. 2023.
2.“We’ve Predicted the Biggest Food Trends You’ll See in 2023.” Food Network, www.foodnetwork.com/fn-dish/news/food-network-trend-predictions-2023. Accessed 11 Sept. 2023.
3.“2023 Food Industry Trends: Food Industry Consulting.” Clarkston Consulting, 24 July 2023, clarkstonconsulting.com/insights/2023-food-industry-trends/.
4. Person. “Snacking 2023 Trend Bite.” FONA, 3 Feb. 2023, www.fona.com/articles/2023/01/snacking-2023-trend-bite.